Before we dig in to our 10 reasons to choose synthetic playground surfacing, we want to make it clear what that means. ‘Synthetic’ surfaces are products such as; bonded rubber mulch, rubber wet pour, artificial grass and rubber grass mats. ‘Natural’ play surfaces include; bark, gravel, sand and woodchip.
1. It lasts longer
By replacing natural bark for bonded rubber mulch, your playground surface is going to last much longer. Natural bark will deteriorate, get wet and muddy and has to be topped up often. By installing products such as our JungleMulch, your playground surface is going to be around for a much longer time. This is especially true considering our 5-year product guarantee and 2-year installation guarantee.
2. Appearance
As previously mentioned, natural playground surfacing can get wet and muddy throughout the year. Synthetic playground surfacing will immediately make the appearance of the area more appealing. Bringing more fun to children and adults alike.
A surface like RubbaSmart wet pour is often chosen for its looks, and as a product that’s very easy to maintain. With this choice, your playground will have a good appearance year-round.
If you want the benefits of synthetic but the look of natural, your best option would be rubber grass mats. For example, our EcoSmart matting. These let the grass grow through and helps the ground stay stable with no undulations.
3. More colour choice
The key benefit of choosing products such as RubbaSmart or JungleMulch is the vast choice of colours available. Not only can you choose any colour of the rainbow, but we can also create a special blend to perfectly fit your requirements. If you want a bright and colourful play area with patterns and shapes, you should definitely choose synthetic surfacing.
4. Safety
We all know how important safety is and when it comes to choosing the appropriate playground safety surfacing, synthetic might just do the trick. We offer a variety of products that can be installed at a variety of different depths to cover for a range of Critical Fall Heights – from 0.6m all the way up to 3m.
5. Maintenance
Natural playground surfacing has an incredibly high maintenance level – especially if it is being used for Critical Fall Height protection. Natural surfacing has to be topped up regularly, or swept back in to place, causing expense of both time and money. However, Synthetic playground surfacing such as our JungleMulch has a much, much easier maintenance schedule. To clean wet pour and rubber mulch, we recommend the occasional wash and sweep to keep it looking good. Rubber grass mats have an even easier maintenance schedule – all you have to do is cut the grass!
6. Sustainability
When you think of synthetic playground surfacing, you may not immediately think of sustainability. However it is a very valid reason for choosing synthetic over natural. Many synthetic products come with long product guarantees, meaning it’ll last for years to come. This therefore creates savings over the long term. For example, our grass mats have a ten-year product guarantee AND they’re made from recycled tires!
7. Play value
Children take value in the whole playground – and that includes what’s on the floor! A synthetic surface that has a bit of bounce, grip, cushion and texture provides so much more value to play time. For example, incorporating wet pour wear pads into a mulch ‘background’. This adds that little bit extra ‘wow’ factor that children really value.
8. Creativity
Children love a play area that stimulates their mind and helps them create a whole world of imaginative play scenarios. A playground designed in the right way will help children’s minds grow and develop. By choosing a synthetic surfacing, you can help encourage this process. By choosing something like RubbaSmart wet pour, your design team can be really creative with the playground. Ultimately, really benefitting the children who’ll be playing there.
9. Accessibility
Accessibility is one of the most important things to consider in play areas – no child should feel left out from the fun. Natural surfacing is not suitable for children with disabilities at all. This is because it hinders their access and can cause difficulties when it gets wet or muddy. In contrast, synthetic playground surfacing – especially rubber mulch and wet pour – creates a far better environment. The surface is smooth and even. Additionally, if necessary we can install a slight ramp at the edges of a playground to ensure easy access for wheelchairs and buggies alike.
10. Economical factors
When you add together many of the previous nine reasons, you’ll realise that by choosing a synthetic playground surface, you’ll be making a very economical decision. Instead of spending money every single year on maintenance and upkeep of your natural surface, you can spend a little more upfront and save massively in the long term!
So in summary, our top 10 reasons to choose synthetic playground surfacing are: it lasts longer, appearance, more colour choice, safety, maintenance, sustainability, play value, creativity, accessibility and economical factors.
If you have any questions or would like to talk to a member of our team about any of the products mentioned in this article, give us a call on 01564 742811 or email info@playsmartuk.co.uk.
2 thoughts on “10 Reasons to Choose Synthetic Playground Surfacing”
Loved the info Jasmine! Like mentioned by you, real grass can be too time and resource consuming to maintain. This is especially true if the area receives heavy rain or snow. On the other hand, artificial surface is resistant to almost anything.
Loved the info Jasmine! I agree with you, appearance is one of the best things about synthetic surfacing. You cannot get the range of colors or the option to get graphics or design with any other surface.